During a Sunday morning run, I fell around the halfway mark of my route. I tripped, skidded, and hit gravel, accompanied by watchful eyes of all at the bus stop and a single exclamation of Aiyoh. As I paused to collect my senses and slowly pick myself up in front of the bus stop, it was clear that the several beings I had fallen in front of weren't going to help me.

As I recovered my nerves after cleaning up at the petrol station, the concept of reliability, or at least the lack of it, swarm my mind. But what made me think I could rely on strangers?

Social morals? My mind worked out that there was no room for that. There were no moral rewards to be gain. My fall didn't deserve reciprocated help.

Social graces then? Similarly, moral rewards were not available. (Do social graces demand or expect non-rewards? Something to think about..). In essence, people are not gracious.

That said, when I got home, my mom asked if anyone helped me. I shook my head and the look of disappointment on her face spoke volumes. While she always stressed that charity started at home, she knew that I was that weird child that would help a person who had fallen off a bike. She knew I was that weirdo who would walk to strangers with maps and offer help. She knew I would readily top up someone's cash on the bus for a bus ride.

Behind that look, I saw a mother disappointed that the world had failed in being a better place for her daughter who was trying to make it a better place.

Sigh.